Choosing the right panel thickness
Did you know that there are a range of panel thicknesses to choose from when having a printed dibond hoarding produced? Normally the most common variables are 0.12, 0.15 and 0.3 skin. Now you are probably asking, what’s the difference? The options relate to the thickness of the aluminium on the top face of the composite panel, and the key benefit of opting for a higher thickness is the reduction you will see in the panel bellying out in the middle when the hot summer sun hits it. A 0.3 skin ACM panel is far better than a 0.12 skin at avoiding this in high heat. At Lavastar, we will only offer 0.15 skin as a minimum at entry level.
Ensuring the job is printed on the correct pass rate to avoid banding
If a company is boasting about how quickly they can turn a printed construction site hoarding around, we would always advise requesting a printed sample that mirrors the output quality of the main job. The faster the output speed on a printer, the fewer passes the print heads will make, and this will at some point result in banding especially when challenging solid colours such as purples and greys are being used. We always advise the client to request a print proof sample prior to giving the green light, and then as a test, hold that sample at the same distance you would expect a passer-by to be from it. That should give you a real feel for the quality to expect as a finished product.
Using materials that can stand the test of time
Printed hoarding boards can be used across a wide variety of sectors including sport, events, retail and construction. Although the large majority of these might only require the hoarding graphics to be up for around a year, you may want to ensure the life expectancy of the materials exceeds this, just in case your signage needs to remain up longer and material failure doesn’t come into play. It would be very easy to offer a client a hoarding panel wrapped with a vinyl that has a one-year lifespan; however, if that product is dark and externally facing south, the lifespan can be drastically reduced. At Lavastar, our panels are wrapped in a minimum 3-year vinyl as standard, though on request we can offer anything up to 7 years and beyond.
Wrapping panel edges
Some signage companies print directly onto hoarding panels with a flatbed printer, but at Lavastar one of our little tricks for achieving a premium finish takes a different approach. The issue with hoarding signage printed on a flatbed is that the edge of the panels presents a black edge which might not seem like an issue, however when the panels expand in the sun and you look along the side of your bright hoarding graphics, those exposed black panel edges will draw the eye away from the printed graphics themselves. We apply the vinyl to the face of the dibond panel and wrap the print around the edge and onto the rear, to avoid the risk of the black edge ever showing.
Advising on structural preparation to ensure a smooth surface
Even if you opt for a thicker skin aluminium composite panel, you will still only have a panel with a total thickness of around 3mm. The panel will be extremely flexible, and any uneven surfaces on the structure you are fitting it to will likely show through. Ply hoardings that have been exposed to outdoor weathering over a number of months prior to the graphics going up are always at higher risk of affecting the finished result. At Lavastar we will always try to set up the artwork template so that our graphic panel joins run off-centre from the joins of the supporting structure, which helps to smooth out any uneven joins.
Tailored on-site cuts ensure your printed graphics have the best fit
Some signage companies will send graphic panels to site already cut to fit the hoarding facade, however we feel that to obtain the best finish, we take the complete panels to site and make our cuts there. This allows us the flexibility to adapt to any issues that arise, but also to really take our time and achieve snug fits when we need to scribe around things like detailed stonework or railings.
It’s only a screw, but getting it right keeps the focus on the graphics
The large majority of hoardings are fixed with screws, however how those screws are finished can vary greatly. Over the years we have experimented with a wide variety of options, and we now opt for a stainless steel screw with a pan head sprayed to a RAL colour of your choice. Other options can look too bulky, rust, fall off, or become problematic when perforating both the composite panel and the ply. All of our screws are carefully measured out for complete consistency across the hoarding. When the fixing is done properly, the screws really do go unnoticed. We have over the years explored options that avoid screws completely for a slicker finish, however these can become costly or result in a fixing method we feel is not robust enough to stand the test of time. To further help avoid panels bellying in hot temperatures, some clients opt for installing a central line of screws through the panel.
Instructing installers with a carpentry skill set
There are lots of signage companies who will claim they can supply and install hoardings, however for the best results the most important factor above all the points I’ve listed is the installer themselves. At Lavastar we have our own in-house trained installers leading on all jobs. Over the years we have experimented with a wide range of subcontractors who claim to be competent in hoarding installation, however what they consider a suitable finish often falls well short of the standards we set. We equip our installers with some of the best tools on the market, tools that your average hoarding installer is unlikely to carry. These allow us to do things like fold printed hoarding panels around corners, rather than leaving an exposed panel join or bulky corner trim.
Quick takeaways on ensuring your printed hoarding is of the highest quality
- Ensure a panel thickness of 0.15 or above
- Run the print at a pass rate slow enough to avoid banding, and request a print proof
- If using vinyl-wrapped panels, request a vinyl with a minimum shelf life of 3 years
- Opt for wrapped panel edges where possible
- Prepare the hoarding structure beforehand to avoid an uneven face surface
- Set the artwork up so graphic panel joins sit off-centre from the main structure joins
- Save bespoke panel cuts for on site to achieve a snug fit
- Use discrete, colour-matched pan head stainless steel screws
- Use an installer with carpentry skills
